Simple Christmas

Sometimes, by the time we get to our Christmas dinner, we have indulged in so many tasty things that all we need is a simple dinner. Here are a few ideas to keep your Christmas dinner simple but also special.

Side Dishes:
Roasted Rosemary Potatoes
Serves 8+

These are the easiest potatoes, much less work than mashed potatoes with the same garlicky taste. Since they don't take much time in the oven, these can roast while your ham or turkey is resting.

3 pounds red potatoes
1/4-1/2 cup olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon rosemary

Wash the potatoes and cut into 2 inch pieces. Toss with remaining ingredients. Spread the potatoes out onto a baking sheet or roasting pan in a single layer. Roast at 400 degrees 20-30 minutes until they are tender and well browned.

Lighter Green Bean Casserole:

Serves 8+

Green bean casserole has been a favorite in our family for years. Here we can all enjoy a great green bean casserole without the heaviness of cream of mushroom soup.

1 tablespoon olive or vegetable oil
1/2 pound mushrooms or onions
1 teaspoon salt
2 cups chicken or vegetable stock
3/4 cup plain Greek or thick yogurt
1+ teaspoon ground black pepper
2 pounds long green beans, defrosted

In a dutch oven or saute pan, heat the oil over medium heat. Wash and slice the mushrooms or slice the onions. Saute mushrooms or onions over medium heat, adding the vegetable stock 1/2 cup at a time to deglaze the pan.

This will take just a bit of your time, about 20-30 minutes, but is worth it. Don't stray too far from the stove, but you can double your duty by cleaning up the rest of the mess you've likely made in the kitchen -- if you're anything like me -- while your onions or mushrooms do their thing.

When you've added all of the stock, remove from heat and stir in yogurt and pepper. Toss with green beans. Bake at 400 degrees for 25-35 minutes, until hot and bubbly.

Whew! Those are some steamy beans! If you must have fried onions on top, try tossing sliced onions with a bit of vegetable oil and flour and oven frying instead of the canned version. 

The Main Stuff:

Brown Sugar and Honey Glazed Ham

There are a lot of smoked hams out there with a package of gooey glaze with a long list of ingredients that are difficult to pronounce. Try this four-ingredient glaze to give your ham a sweet flavor. 

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup olive or vegetable oil

pinch of salt

Stir all of the ingredients together in a small bowl. Go easy on the salt, just enough to bring out the flavors as the ham is surely salty enough. 

You can glaze the ham early in the cooking process or just in the last 30 minutes. 

Sweet, Sweet Dessert:

Dipped pretzels are probably my favorite Christmas dessert. Sweet and salty are such a great combo and just a handful makes a cup of coffee that much more delicious. 

For an extra touch, add about a 1/2 teaspoon of peppermint extract to the melted chocolate before dipping the pretzels. Easy and without the mess of crushed peppermints (though delicious!), peppermint extract gives dipped pretzels a fresh taste. 

Enjoy!

Applesauce Crumble Coffee Cake

Mom and I love coffee cake. Love it!
We love it so much I knew I had to find a way to make it easier on our waistlines. Whole wheat flour, oatmeal, and applesauce go a long way toward more fiber and less butter and shortening.

This coffee cake makes a small enough batch for a gift and can easily be doubled to share with visiting family. Make it the night before for an easy Sunday morning breakfast.

Let's go!

Whisk together the flour, oatmeal, wheat germ, salt, baking powder and 2 tablespoons sugar

With a mixer, combine one cup of the dry ingredients with shortening until crumbly. Reserve 1/2 cup of the crumb mixture and set aside. 

Combine crumb mixture, remaining dry ingredients and applesauce. 

Whisk together milk, egg and vanilla. Mix into the batter. 

Pour batter into a greased 8x6 or loaf pan. 

Combine remaining tablespoon sugar and cinnamon with reserved crumb mixture. 

Pour melted butter over batter and top with crumb mixture. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool for a few minutes while your coffee brews. 

Applesauce Crumble Coffee Cake:
Serves 4


1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup oatmeal, ground
1 tablespoon wheat germ (optional)
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon baking powder
2 tablespoons sugar
1/3 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup natural or sugar free applesauce
1/2 cup skim milk
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 tablespoons butter, melted

Whisk together the flour, oatmeal, wheat germ, salt, baking powder and 2 tablespoons sugar. Use a coffee grinder, blender or food processor to grind the oatmeal into a flour.

With a mixer, combine one cup of the dry ingredients with shortening until crumbly. Reserve 1/2 cup of the crumb mixture and set aside. 

Combine crumb mixture, remaining dry ingredients and applesauce. Whisk together milk, egg and vanilla. Mix into the batter. Pour batter into a greased 8x6 or loaf pan. 

Combine remaining tablespoon sugar and cinnamon with reserved crumb mixture. Pour melted butter over batter and top with crumb mixture. 

Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let the cake cool for a few minutes while your coffee brews. 

Spicy Shrimp and Broccoli Pasta

The theme in our house lately has been to eat spicy to stay warm. Our beloved Sriracha hasn't strayed far from the stove and we've chugged our weight in milk. So far, we've had success.

Are you ready for some heat? Here we go:

Get the pasta water started and cook to al dente. Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven or large saute pan. 

Give the baby broccoli a rough chop. Add garlic to dutch oven and cook until fragrant, just about a minute. Toss in the broccoli and saute until bright green. 

Add shrimp and saute until they just begin to turn pink.

Squirt in your Sriracha. A little goes a long way.

Getting steamy in there! Add reserved 1/2 cup pasta water, parmesan and feta. Give it a stir and watch it get melty and delicious. 

Fold in the pasta.

Pour a glass of milk. Top with another sprinkle of parmesan and enjoy!

Spicy Shrimp and Broccoli Pasta

Serves 4

3 cups wheel pasta, or pasta of your choice

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 tablespoon garlic

1 pound baby broccoli

1/2 pound (or more!) shrimp

1-2 teaspoons Sriracha, for more or less spice

1/2 cup reserved pasta water

1/4 cup parmesan, plus more for garnish

1/3 cup feta, crumbled

Cook pasta according to directions. 

Heat the olive oil in a dutch oven or large saute pan. Roughly chip the baby broccoli. 

Add garlic to dutch oven and cook until fragrant, just about a minute. Toss in the broccoli and saute until bright green. 

Add shrimp and saute until they just begin to turn pink. Stir in Sriracha.

Add reserved 1/2 cup pasta water, parmesan and feta. Stir and cook until melted. Fold in the pasta.

Top with another sprinkle of parmesan and enjoy!